This document provides an overview of SAS Visual Programmer (VP) and walks through an example of analyzing retail store data without coding. It explains that VP allows analysts to visually map out the logical data flow from raw data to actionable insights. The example demonstrates importing retail store data, sorting and filtering it to find the highest selling and highest profit items, and presenting the results in charts for the CEO. The learning objectives are to effectively use VP, import data into it, and create different types of charts.

1. BAS 150
Lesson 2:
SAS Studio – Visual Programmer

2. • Explain Analytical Programming
• Connect to SAS Studio
• Create a Logical Data Flow Map
Last Week’s Learning Objectives

3. • Effectively Work in SAS Studio – Visual Programmer
• Import data using SAS Studio – VP
• Create two different charts in SAS Studio - VP
This Week’s Learning Objectives

4. Effectively Work in SAS Studio
Visual Programmer

5. SAS Programmer

6. Visual Programmer

7.  SAS VP allows the analyst to collect, explore and present
large amounts of data to discover underlying patterns, trends
and insights using statistical software WITHOUT coding.
 Turns logical data flow maps into actionable insights
 Helps you to learn SAS faster
 Lets you visually see your analytic process
What is SAS Visual Programmer? (1 of 4)

8. Remember from last week…
 What does it take to become a good SAS programmer?
o Thinks logically
o Organized
o Attention to detail
o Looks for ways to be more efficient
o Can interpret and explain results clearly
o Focused on results
What is SAS Visual Programmer? (2 of 4)

9. Also, remember from last week…
 Draw the process of Making Toast?
o Thinks logically
o Organized
o Attention to detail
o Looks for ways to be more efficient
o Can interpret and explain results clearly
o Focused on results
What is SAS Visual Programmer? (3 of 4)

10. What is SAS Visual Programmer? (4 of 4)

11. SAS Visual Programmer
Critical tool in your analytical toolbox…
 “Logical Data Flow Map”
o The end-to-end flow of data
o Raw data Actionable insights
o Begin with the end in mind?

12. Business Problem
You work as a Business Analyst at the
headquarters of a chain or retail stores selling a
wide range of products. The CEO lives by one of
the stores and wants to know what are the highest
profit items in the store AND what are the highest
selling items. You have 5 hours to get this
information to him.

13. Requested
Information
Clean
Normalize
Subset
Analyze
Products Sold
Product Profit
3
Show
2
Code
1
Data
Logical Data Flow Map (1 of 2)

14. Logical Data Flow Map (2 of 2)
 Begin with where the data can be found
o Questions to ask…
 “Where is the data stored?”
 “What type of data is this?”
 “What format is the data saved?”
1
Data

15. 2. Double-clicking this box
opens up an input screen.
1. Click on “+” drops down
a menu. Choose Import
Data. Choose “Retail
Store.xlsx”
Importing Data (1 of 5)

16. 1. Where is the data
(“Retail Store”)
stored?
2. What type of data is
“Retail Store”?
3. What format is the
data (“Retail Store”)
saved?
Importing Data (2 of 5)

17. Importing Data (3 of 5)

18. Importing Data (4 of 5)

19. Importing Data (5 of 5)

20.  Data management & analysis
o Questions to ask…
 “Do I need to clean the data?”
 “How do I merge the data?”
 “What types of analytics do I need to uncover insights?”
 “How do I subset the data to report the insights?”
2
Code
Logical Data Flow Map

21. 1. Do I need
to clean
the data?
2. How do I
subset the
data?
3. What type
of analytics
do I need?
Data Management & Analysis (1 of 5)

22. NOTE: If the nodes are not
connected by a dotted line, just
drag a line from the Import Data
node to the Sort Data node
First, we want to Sort
the data by highest to
lowest selling items.
Drag “Sort Data” task to
Process Flow Window
CEO wants to know
what are the highest
profit items in the store
AND what are the
highest selling items.
Data Management & Analysis (2 of 5)

23. Data Management & Analysis (3 of 5)

24. CEO wants to know
what are the highest
profit items in the store
AND what are the
highest selling items.
Next, we want to filter
only the “Highest”
profit items. To do
this, we only want to
see those products
with greater than
$500 of weekly profit
Data Management & Analysis (4 of 5)

25. Data Management & Analysis (5 of 5)

26.  End with an actionable insight to share
o Questions to ask…
 “Who is my audience?”
 “What type of reports do they want to see?”
 “How do I format output to easily “see” the insights?”
 “Is the insight actionable?”
3
Show
Logical Data Flow Map

27.  End with an actionable insight to share
o “Who is my audience?”
 CEO
o “What type of reports do they want to see?”
 High-Level Report. Used to Graphs and Charts
o “How do I format output to easily “see” the insights?”
 One or two easy to read charts
3
Show
Insights to Share (1 of 6)

28. Insights to Share (2 of 6)

29. Insights (3 of 6) – Bar Chart

30. Insights (4 of 6) – Bar Chart

31. Insights (5 of 6) – Scatter Plot

32. Insights (6 of 6) – Bar Chart

33. Learning objectives…
 “Effectively Work in VP” - Lecture, Homework
 “Import data using VP” - Lecture, Homework
 “Create two different charts in VP” - Lecture, Homework
Summary

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Except where otherwise stated, this work by Wake Technical Community College Building Capacity in
Business Analytics, a Department of Labor, TAACCCT funded project, is licensed under the Creative
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